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A blog for advertising creatives in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. To pass on news or advertise on the blog, or to subscribe to Campaign Brief Australia/NZ or CB Asia, or The Work 06 Annual, email: michael@campaignbrief.com

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

LOSEBY BACK DOWN UNDER

"It's Football, but not as you know it" is just one of the things that makes Richard Loseby smile, particularly given the Socceroos' recent passport to the World Cup in Germany.

Having successfully re-launched the round ball game into Australia, amongst other things, the former CD of Lowe Hunt, Sydney has had a fine time of things. Four months as acting CD of Lowe Asia has seen him working with ECD Paul Grubb, one of London's finest creatives and co-founder of Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters, launching several major products into the region.

However, despite the fact the offer was there to make it a permanent move, the lure of New Zealand sees him back there once more. Says Loseby: "It might be the fishing, it might be the sailing on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf, but it's also a fact that the NZ market is seeing one of the most exciting periods in its history. Big clients are moving, mergers are taking place, all of which makes for an interesting time."

Having said that, Sydney is still another important home for the itinerant senior creative and in the world of freelance he says, who cares where you live, "if the big idea gets over 100,000 people to watch 'soccer' - aka football on both sides of a rugby-mad Tasman in the space of one weekend, then what does it matter?"

He can be reached in Australia on 0407 890 620 and in NZ on 021 514077, or at loseby@xtra.co.nz

McCRACKEN SELECTED FOR THE ONE SHOW JURY

CB hears Todd McCracken, the Auckland based regional CD of Grey Worldwide, has been selected to represent New Zealand on The One Show jury in New York next year. Unfortunately, no Australian has been selected despite plenty of pleas to The One Show organisers over the last six months.

Saturday, November 26, 2005

YOUNG GUNS: SINS OF THE FATHERS?

It’s a question that bounced around both sides of the jury over the three days of judging this year. The simple fact is there’s a fair few 29 year old ‘heavyweights’ in the industry these days; complete with heavyweight salaries, titles and an enviable clutch of precious metal. Which, perhaps, explains just how ‘young’ so much of the winning YoungGuns work is.

Frankly, if we’d been told we were judging a major international ‘grown up’ award, I don’t think any of us would have been thrown. In a way, that’s a compliment to the high levels of craft and the general sense of sophistication in the conceptual thinking. But it’s also kind of sad, and a bit odd. Like a teenager walking around in his dad’s business suit.

Personally, I was expecting more ‘spectacular failure’ - wild, radical and dangerous new thinking that totally ignored industry law and broke some new ground, albeit with a crude naivety.

Admittedly, there were some glaring exceptions that felt fresh from the asylum - ‘Counterfeit Mini’ (Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Miami) is a corker, across all media. The Gold Bullet winning PlayStation bubble-wrap outdoor (McCann- Erickson Malaysia) is a genius alchemy of brand and consumer. The safe sex cards (Leo Burnett Canada) deserved their gong in copywriting and who could forget ‘Gay Nazi Rally’ (Saatchi’s, Norway) in the Bottom Drawer section? (By the way, a pure gift of a category criminally thin on outrageous creativity - given the criteria is ‘work the client didn’t have the balls to run’. Come on guys!).

Overall, the winning work is genuinely world class and the creators deserve to be proud. That said, this show is as much about sticking a cattle-prod up us industry old farts as celebrating youth, and I’d like to question what’s driving young creatives based on the bulk of the work.

After all, it’s all very well repeating the sins of your fathers, but the real fun is thinking up some fresh sin all of your own!

ANDY FACKRELL'S YOUNG GUNS CHAIRMAN REPORT

YoungGuns 2005 was a show dominated by film; not necessarily in the 30 second spot - although there were some beauties - but ideas that pushed into longer and unconventional formats. It is relevant, and hugely encouraging, that younger creatives are leading the way.

Two of the Gold Bullets given in Film, to the mesmerizing Sony ‘Balls’ cinema spot and Mini ‘Counterfeit’ are examples of brilliant communication that are not only fresh in ideas but fulfilled through execution. The Sony spot will no doubt pick up a few gongs over the next 12 months - it was nice that the jury here in Sydney got to see it first. It was less effective over shorter lengths but got full value in its longest format: a great choice of music, director and editor, it reached its maximum potential due to its craft. ‘Counterfeit’ similarly showed an amazing depth, yet instead of one simple idea well honed, it was a simple idea jam packed with parody. Both were clearly made by real talents who understand that an idea is but the first stage in the process.

Viral film had some highlights with interesting craft decisions you would hope for in young teams. But where were the young directors? The jury struggled to find any stand out piece of work to include in this category. The same applied in other craft categories, aside from the animated Duke Spirit music video. You need a pretty decent song to kick-start a video but this one had it all going on. And kept you there until the last note.

It must be said, that print and the student entries were a little disappointing this year; both seemed hamstrung by old formats when compared to the above. You hoped that wouldn’t be the case at YoungGuns. There was the Gold winning Playstation Bus Shelter from Malaysia, a really interesting DM piece for The Republic of Singapore Navy, but the best idea was probably a ‘Bottom Drawer’ number from Norway, that hoped to counteract an annual Nazi Rally held in a small town there. Check that one out in the book.

Maybe print really is slipping, in terms of relevance, and not the place to learn the business of advertising anymore? Yet, look at how good it can be, when pulled off with confidence, as with the Student Entry of the Year for Hubba Bubba. Congratulations Menno Kluin; you had a great idea and you showed great taste and restraint in your art direction. Your execution carried it off. Interestingly, the same attributes apply to the Sony ‘Balls’ spot, easily voted by the whole jury as Best of Show; its creator Juan Cabral (Fallon London) honoured as the 2005 YoungGun of the Year.

So, in all, a really good show if not a little skewed to moving pictures. Some fantastic talent is out there, in all parts of the world, pushing advertising into new areas and blurring the lines between medias.

I’d like to thank the jury for the great effort and healthy, open debates that makes this show a little bit special. Also thank you YoungGuns for organizing a smooth event and their excellent hospitality; our livers, the weather and the Sculptures by the Sea all held up well that week.

SAATCHI SYDNEY SNARES JACKSON FROM PUBLICIS MOJO

CB hears highly awarded Publicis Mojo Melbourne writer Steve Jackson has been lured to Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney as a creative group head in charge of Lexus amongst other accounts. At Publicis Mojo Jackson co-created the Nike "Reincarnation" and "Squirrel" spots, as well as the Toyota "AFL" spots, Nike "Keep the Ball Alive" and Tourism Victoria "Run Rabbit Run". Jackson arrived in Melbourne three years ago from Cape Town where he worked at The Jupiter Drawing Room for three years and O&M Rightford for three years.

WILLIAMS TO CD OF LEO BURNETT MELBOURNE

CB hears Publicis Mojo Melbourne art director Jason Williams has been appointed creative director of Leo Burnett, Melbourne, replacing Craig Jackson. Williams (who partnered Steve Jackson) had only been at Publicis Mojo for a year after leaving Leo Burnett Sydney. With Jackson, Williams created the Nike "Reincarnation" and "Squirrel" spots and the Toyota "AFL" spots. Williams is also a third partner of the YoungGuns International Awards, seen here at right with Michael Kean and Kristian Barnes.

EMMA HILL TO JUDGE CLIOS, NOBBY FOR ADFEST

Clemenger BBDO Melbourne creative director Emma Hill has been chosen to be Australia's TV juror for the 2006 Clio Awards. The awards, second in size to Cannes and arguably better judged, is held in Miami each May with the judging held in March. Meanwile, Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney creative director David Nobay will chair the Print and Outdoor jury at Asia Pacific AdFest, held in Pattaya Beach, Thailand in March.

The presentation of the 5th annual International YoungGuns Awards Ceremony, Exhibition and Party was held at Fox Studios, Sydney last night. Continuing their ‘Hardly Legal’ theme, a huge crowd of top young creatives (and not so young) partied hard until the early hours of this morning.

In the closest race in five years for the Agency of the Year title, Crispin Porter + Bogusky Miami looked certain to take the honours for the second year running after winning the highest number of Gold and Silver bullets across the most categories; that was until the jury unanimously voted Juan Cabral’s magical ‘Balls’ spot for Sony (out of Fallon London) as the Best in Show. This honour saw Fallon London leapfrog CP+B to claim the title.

The Sony ‘Balls’ spot (pictured) picked up two Gold Bullets as well as Best in Show. Its Argentinean creator and 2005 YoungGun of the Year Juan Cabral will enjoy the US$5000 prize purse as well receiving an invitation from the YoungGuns organisers to sit on the 2006 YoungGuns Jury.

Saatchi & Saatchi picked up the YoungGuns Network of the Year award for the second time (also winning in 2003) with wins from its offices in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Norway, Malaysia, USA and Singapore.

As Jury Chairmen, Andy Fackrell (180 Amsterdam) and Nobby (Saatchi Sydney) both said the overall standard of work entered in 2005 was great, although film proved to be a lot stronger than print (something quite the opposite in 2004).

The Student Award impressed yet again, with Menno Kluin (Miami Ad School, Hamburg) taking the top prize for his ‘Hubba Bubba’ print campaign. Menno is currently working for Aussie ex-pat Young Gun Leo Premutico at Saatchi & Saatchi, New York and was in Sydney to accept his Gold Bullet.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

THE GLUE SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP INCREASES TO MEET GLOBAL DEMAND

The Glue Society has increased its numbers to nine writers/directors working in both Sydney and New York.

The latest member to join the Society is James Dive, a 26 year old Australian creative who at the end of 2003 left Publicis Mojo Sydney to work in London. After a hard but rewarding two years at Grey London (under Dave Alberts), he produced campaigns for Twix, Mars Delight and a notorious campaign for Mothers Against Guns.

The Glue Society will also be taking on a pair of AWARDSchool Students who worked during the recent Think Tank experiment in Sydney, to be announced this Thursday.

Since the end of the nineties, the company has written and directed its entire creative output - as well as contributed to the making of various other agency's scripts. (Mercedes Carma and Canon Pixma both receiving Silver Awards at AWARD this year.)

Current projects being worked on come from both agencies and clients, not just locally but as far afield as Cologne and Paris.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

SAATCHI SYDNEY SNARES NET X CD GANANN FOR DIGITAL DIVISION

Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney has lured Net X's Sean Ganann (pictured), currently Australia’s hottest Digital CD, to lead the Saatchi Digital offering. Ganann will play a key role in ensuring Saatchi succeeds in the digital space, as they have consistently in the more traditional mediums.

His award winning work for such diverse clients as Virgin Money, Virgin Atlantic, 3 Mobile, Westpac, Enron, IBM, Campbell’s Soup, Philips, Unilever and Motorola was a key factor in his hiring. Formerly with NetX, Ganann has established himself as a leading creative person in Australia, winning awards both locally and internationally.

Before moving to Sydney in 2002, he held senior creative positions at OgilvyInteractive, BBDO Interactive and Grey Interactive in Toronto, Canada. Ganann recently engineered the entire interactive side of the innovative Jason Donovan Campaign for Virgin Mobile and won two Bronzes at AWARD last week.

A passionate digital Creative Director with over 10 year experience in interactive, Ganann has sat on juries at Cannes, The One Show, London International Advertising Awards and AWARD.

Says Chief Executive Officer of Saatchi & Saatchi, Simone Bartley: “Sean’s hire is both exciting and pivotal to us delivering truly media neutral ideas. He is passionate, talented and very, very Saatchi’. We are looking forward to immersing him in our clients’ business.”

Says David Nobay, Executive Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi: “We’ve worked hard over the last few years to establish our creative credentials regionally and internationally. Interactive is a vital part of the mix, and I’ve been searching for a Creative Director for ages who can match and enhance our present creative reputation. Sean makes the wait more than worthwhile.”

Says Ganann: “Bringing progressive interactive thinking to the already staggering creative arsenal and client list of Saatchi & Saatchi is a dream gig – I can’t wait to get started!”

Monday, November 21, 2005

BACK TO SAATCHI NZ

CB hears Colenso BBDO Auckland head of art Steve Back has been lured to arch rivals Saatchi & Saatchi, Auckland. Back, who will work with deputy CD, Toby Talbot, arrived at Colenso BBDO last year - hired by Talbot when he was CD - after a few years in London at various shops. Originally from Perth, Back has worked with current Leo Burnett CD Mark Collis at George Patts Sydney and later at Leo Burnett Sydney (where they created the awarded Stoli "The Truth" campaign amongst other notable achievements). When Collis left to join Grey London as CD, Back followed soon after to join him, but within a year Collis left, and soon after Back followed suit. He then worked in London at various gigs, including BDDH Partners and Walsh Trott Chick Smith.

SION WANTS MOORE HEAD OF ART

CB hears former Publicis Mojo Auckland senior art director Josh Moore has been lured by Lowe Worldwide Auckland creative director Sion Scott Wilson to join as head of art. At Publicis Mojo, Moore co-created the multi-awarded Mini Burger Rings campaign and the print work for NZ Coastguard - both picking up Pencils at AWARD recently. Moore left Publicis Mojo a few months back and had been freelancing at Saatchi's.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

D&AD CALL FOR EARLY ENTRIES

We're obsessive. Maybe almost as obsessive as you. And that's why we've created and crafted the most comprehensive and accessible D&AD Global Awards since D&AD's inception 43 years ago.

The 2006 Call for Entries has now launched and we are accepting entries at www.dandad.org/awards06. Enter before Friday 9 December 2005 to receive a 10% discount. The closing deadline for all entries is 27 January 2006.

Bloody brilliant! Talk about punching above our weight. What with Australia's Dave Droga (pictured) named next year's Cannes Jury President and Australia's Terry Savage the boss of Cannes, we surely can't fail to do better than your average southern hemishere country!

Gee, real upset I missed out on the AWARD dinner..

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

JOHNSTON QUITS DE PASQUALE

After 10 years at Brisbane hotshop De Pasquale, deputy creative director Grant Johnston has decided to leave "to look for newer and yes brighter opportunities both creatively and personally outside these walls."

Says Johnston: "I have no idea (well I have some ideas) what I will eventually fall into, but I’m looking forward to working with new people and continuing working with greats which I have worked together previously in Brisbane and interstate. 10 years in one agency teaches you a lot, especially when you start with only 5 people and help build an agency to make it to 5th most creative in Australia (according to B&T) and the most awarded agency in town.

"Those years have taught me well and I find myself positioned to tackle anything. 10 years also marks a point when you may as well try something new."

12000 HITS FOR YAHOO! THINK TANK

Following the unveiling of the Yahoo! Think Tank, a transparent perspex cube measuring 3.6 metres by 4.8 metres and standing three metres high in Sydney’s Customs House, more than 12,000 people from around the globe have been challenging Australia’s top creative talent with their online advertising briefs.

The Yahoo! Think Tank is a fully-functioning creative studio with a rotating team of creatives living inside 24 hours a day, seven days a week until Thursday, November 17th. The teams are generating online advertising ideas in response to briefs submitted by anyone through the Yahoo! Think Tank website (www.yahoothinktank.com.au).

Briefs have been received via the website from around the globe from places such as the USA and Brazil as a result of blog postings and word-of-mouth. The breakdown is as follows:* 52% of briefs have been submitted by Australians* 15% per cent of briefs are coming from people in the USA* 6% per cent from Brazil* 4% per cent from the UK* 3% per cent from France

According to Brett Corrick, Marketing Director at Yahoo! Australia & NZ, “The response has been amazing. We set out to raise awareness of online among the Australian creative community and are thrilled that creative agencies and clients from around the globe are interacting with the Think Tank by rating ideas and submitting briefs. We now have creative teams asking if they can go inside the tank, requiring us to shift schedules at the last minute to keep up with agency demands!”

“Having five minutes to crack a brief definitely makes you really concise,” said Laurie Ingram, Senior Art Director of M&C Saatchi fresh from a stint in the Think Tank. “It’s been interesting to approach briefs from an online point of view rather than traditional mainstream media – surprisingly it’s allowed much more creative freedom!”

You can go to the website to watch and listen via webcams and microphones as the ideas are generated around the clock. Each idea is turned around in five minutes and dozens of briefs are worked on each day. Creative ideas are also posted in an online gallery so you can rate them. Twelve creative ideas have already been awarded the “Yahoo! Big Idea Chair stamp of approval.”

Visitors can interact with the creatives through the website by suggesting themes for the day, following the blog and submitting messages which will appear on a LED ticker inside the Yahoo! Think Tank.

Everyone is welcome to gaze inside the Yahoo! Think Tank at Customs House and watch as the briefs are turned into brilliant online creative ideas.

DROGA TO HEAD 2006 CANNES JURIES

Australia's David Droga, former worldwide creative director of Publicis, is to head the film and press juries at next year's Cannes Lions festival.

Droga is currently based in New York, working on the launch of the consultancy he set up with backing of Publicis Groupe, after he quit as worldwide chief creative officer in August this year.

He has experienced incredible success at Cannes, a haul of 45 Lions and two Grands Prix during a glittering career, first at the legendary OMON in Sydney, where he spent nearly a decade, followed by three years as ECD at Saatchi & Saatchi Asia (based in Singapore) followed by three years as ECD of Saatchi's London, then two years as worldwide CD at Publicis.

He moved to New York in 2003 to take up the top creative role at Publicis, but announced he was leaving the agency earlier this year to develop a new kind of business. Called Drogafive, Droga describes it as a "brand ideas and entertainment laboratory". It will open early next year with bases in New York and Los Angeles.

Australia's Terry Savage, executive chairman of the Cannes Lions festival, said: "David is one of the most talented, respected and awarded creative stars today, receiving countless personal accolades along the way. Having made his mark in Australia, Asia, Europe and now in the US, his international outlook makes him the ideal jury president for Cannes."

Droga said: "I am extremely flattered to be the jury president. Cannes has always been very good to me and I hope to reciprocate as much as possible."

Saturday, November 12, 2005

BIG AD NIGHT FOR SAATCHI AND GEORGE PATTERSON

It was a golden night for George Patterson Partners, Melbourne (now George Patterson Y&R) as their Carlton Draught ‘Big Ad’ - the most talked about spot of the year - snared two very rare Gold Pencils plus four Silvers and a Bronze at the 27th AWARD Awards, held last night in Sydney.Another highlight of the night was the inaugural presentation of Agency of the Year - awarded to current Campaign Brief Agency of the Year Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney for the best overall performance at AWARD. Including Craft, the agency’s haul included one Silver and 14 Bronze Pencils, split between Toyota, Olympus and Fox Sports.Saatchi & Saatchi also won Network of the Year, beating second placed Publicis Mojo and third placed BBDO, while Foster’s was deservedly awarded Client of the Year.But Saatchi’s and Patts weren’t the only ones to have a great night out. A clutch of agencies from the three key regions - Australia, New Zealand and Asia - made more than one short walk and a handshake: Colenso BBDO Auckland, Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand, Publicis Mojo Auckland, Publicis Mojo Sydney, MTC Auckland, BMF Sydney, Arnold Worldwide Sydney and Ogilvy & Mather, Singapore.Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand won a Silver and six Bronze Pencils, mostly online/interactive work for NZ Army; Publicis Mojo Auckland won two Silvers and seven Bronze, mostly for the Burger Rings print campaign; MTC Auckland won two Silvers and six Bronze, all for L&P; Colenso BBDO Auckland won seven Bronze Pencils, mostly for Monaco; and Publicis Mojo Sydney won two Silvers and four Bronze.More Asian agencies supported AWARD this year, and the effort proved fruitful: Euro RSCG Flagship, Bangkok won the only other Gold Pencil awarded on the night, for their outdoor campaign for 11 News 1 Channel. The agency also won a Silver. O&M Singapore won an impressive four Silvers and three Bronze; Leo Burnett Malaysia won two Silvers and three Bronze; Naga DDB Malaysia won two Bronze; Batey Red Cell Singapore won a Silver; Leo Burnett Singapore won two Bronze; TBWA Tokyo won two Bronze; and Saatchi’s Singapore won a Bronze.This year the jury system for print and tv included three judges from New Zealand, three from Asia and three from Australia. This approach was deemed by the committee to be the fairest way of recognising the increasingly regional nature of the industry and of drawing from the widest pool of judging talent possible, whilst avoiding criticism of bias or favour.AWARD co-chairman Darryn Devlin says the inaugural AWARD Client of the Year award was long overdue: “This is for the standout client amongst all those whose work has been selected. We think it is absolutely necessary to acknowledge those clients who not only believe in the link between creativity and business success, but who have backed that up by investing in their brands. All great work is a result of partnership between clients and agencies with a common goal, so when we recognise and reward the best work of the year, we should also recognise those clients who have helped make it happen.“This year, we have a client that has produced consistently good work over recent years, but this year has delivered a truly outstanding idea. And for that, we should all be thankful.”

As is well documented now, the ad was hugely popular before it even aired on television. It’s a big-budget production, even by television advertising standards, yet it was made for the internet and became a hugely successful viral marketing campaign with over a million hits. Mobile phones via the 3G network were also used.

So why is the commercial so successful?

For a start, it treats the viewer with intelligence and rewards them with a joke in exchange for their attention.

“Like all good comedy it is entertaining and engaging.” said Onion Communications managing partner, Richard Patterson. “And like all good advertising, it hits a nerve, laughing at other ads and itself, so making it acceptable and entertaining. It’s an intoxicating, attractive combination,”

But does this attention-getting likeability translate into sales?

There is enough global research to suggest in the case of fast moving consumer goods, people who like a commercial ‘a lot’ are more likely to be persuaded by it than people who simply felt neutral. And that the overall reaction to a commercial is the single biggest predictor of its advertising effectiveness.

Likeability is therefore important, but the rules of the game are changing to the point that it may have become the critical component in getting cut through.

“As technology allows consumers to skip ads on interactive TV, advertisers must adapt or die to the changing market,” said Patterson.

“It’s particularly scary when you couple this with recent studies which show today’s younger generation are doing three to four tasks while using the Internet and two or three tasks while watching TV,” he added.

"It stands to reason, if people like your ads you have a better shot at getting attention. Attention–getting devices have been part of advertising creatives' armoury since time immemorial, and they cover a wide range: noise, bright colour, shock–inducing visuals, music, celebrities, nudity, humour. The potential problem is that it is too easy for the attention–getting device to overshadow the brand and the brand message.

"But this is not the case with the ‘Big Ad’. Onion Communications’ OzWatch also looked at how strong the brand (as opposed to the ad) was in people’s minds. The Carlton United brand scored almost as highly on brand recognition as the commercial itself did on popularity. So doubly well done, Carlton Draught.

"Almost as important as the ads that stood out in the survey are the absentees from the Top Ten. Those that didn’t rate a mention include Qantas, Ford, Holden, Myer, Telstra, Coles, Woolworths, the big banks, Nestle, Mars, P+G and any form of government advertising.

“This leads us to only one conclusion: if these brands agree with the sentiment that likeability is an important factor in cut-through and sales generation, then according to our research, these advertisers are not achieving it.” said Patterson

“I can predict the phone calls from both agencies and clients not on this list, who will be quick to quote both sales figures and pre-testing studies defending their ads. I have one thing to say to them. If they had managed to communicate their existing strategies with an execution with more creative and popular execution, then it stands to reason that their advertising would be more powerful and their sales figures more impressive.” he concluded.

CONTACT:To find out more about Australia’s top ten favourite ads, contact Richard Patterson on 0413120029 or (03) 9699 9766, or Chris Brooking on (03) 9699 9766.

The national survey was carried out in October by fully trained and briefed telephone interviewers utilising the CATI system. Data was weighted to reflect the national population in ages and locations. The sample details were as follows: males 600 participants, females 600 participants. Total 1,200.

Friday, November 04, 2005

TOP 20 COMMERCIALS PROGRAMME BLITZED THE RATINGS - NO SURPRISE

Just heard that last night's Top 20 Commercials programme "20 To ONE" on Channel Nine absolutely blitzed the ratings, a fact that should finally be noted -- and understood -- by all the timid, conservative clients out there, some of whom advertised (invisibly) during the programme. The punters out there love great ads, once again proven by sky high ratings. Why don't we (as an industry) give it to them. We need more "Big Ads" to prove our worth to marketers. We must not let them (and those grubby researchers, McKinseyesque consultants and procurement pricks) get in our way. Our future depends on it. We need a strong ad industry again with strong leaders that can stand up to clients, the sort we used to have in the 70 and 80s. Time to kick ass.... like Patts Melbourne did with the Big Ad... before it's too late.

SINGO'S TOP 20 COMMERCIALS?

CB had to laugh watching Channel 9's amateurish attempt last night at selecting the 20 best Australian commercials of all time in their "20 to One" series. While they got a few right, they obviously didn't check with too many ad industry folk. It was all too apparent that Singo was consulted (he appeared on the show), getting his 70s Razzamatazz spots in at number 17, plus Tip Top "Good Onya Mum" at number 8 and surprise, surprise, SO&M's Qantas "Choir" at number 1. Siimon Reynolds also did a lot of commentary - he was very good - despite failing to get any of his spots on the list (as it was a Top 20 of the best, as in most liked, it couldn't include NACAIDS "Grim Reaper"). The original Vegemite spot came it at number 2, while Yellow Pages "Not Happy Jan" was a surprise number 3 choice. Industry Ad Watchers would have approved of some choices: Stainmaster "Pro Hart" (20), Nobby's Nuts "Pub Mirrors" (19), the original VB campaign (10) and Decore "Duke of Earl" (7), but they would have been disappointed that the likes of Antz Pantz (in 2000, voted number one best ad of the last 25 years by the ad industry) didn't make it, or Winfield "Anyhow" (presume Channel 9 weren't allowed to show a cigarette spot, even in this context), OTC "Memories" (the Cannes Grand Prix in 1977 for George Patts Sydney), Apple "Aligator", Yellow Pages "Goggomobile", Dunlop "Aircraft Carrier", Colgate UV "West Indians", Milk "Legendary Milkman", John West "Underwater Restaurant", AMLC "Liferaft", AMLC "Fat Chance", Holeproof "Computer Socks", Rabbit Photos "Shark", DHL "Budgie", Castrol "Oils Aint Oils" and Rice "Sculptures" might have been better than some of their choices, which included some unnamed insurance spot at number 5, starring Chevy Chase in his "Griswald" role; Bendon "Elle" at number 19 and Natural Gas "Flame dancers" at number 15. Nice to see Mo and Jo interviewed, but only their ad (really a Channel 9 cricket promo) for World Series Cricket "C'mon Aussie C'mon" (13) made the list. However, two of their spots were shown in between the official list (very confusing) including the brilliant "I feel like a Tooheys" and Meadow Lea "You Outta be Congratulated". While it was great to see it again, they wasted one position on the great Toyota "Bugger" spot from Saatchi Wellington. And the Carlton Draught "Big Ad" was shown and praised, but it was not placed in the Top 20.The really interesting thing was watching all the crap, boring spots booked in the ad breaks, including some shit KFC spots (by Singo!), plus dull dross for the likes of Zirtec, Lotto, Ford, K Mart, Nissan and Toyota. Marketers still haven't got it: consumers don't want this crap. They want to be entertained, be charmed, be titilated perhaps, be shocked even, reactions we might get watching many of the great ads shown in the actual programme. And for FREE, by the way!

With media consumption habits undergoing their biggest shift in decades, Yahoo! Australia & NZ is mounting an innovative campaign which challenges the Australian advertising community to make online activity a major component of future campaigns.

The Yahoo! Think Tank (www.yahoothinktank.com.au), is a transparent acrylic box measuring just 3.6 metres by 4.8 metres and standing three metres high. It is furnished as a fully-functioning creative studio including a desk, PC and white boards.

A rotating team of creatives from hot-shop The Glue Society including Creative Director Jonathan Kneebone as well as Matt Devine & Luke Crethar, creators of the recent Virgin Mobile Jason Donovan campaign, will be joined by guests from Australia’s creative advertising agencies and live in the tank 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week for a fortnight (Thursday, November 3rd to Thursday, November 17th). Their task will be to prove the power of online creativity by generating responses to creative briefs submitted via the website.

Anybody can submit briefs for consideration and each agency or client will then be alerted via email so they can watch and listen (via webcams and microphones) as the creatives work on their response. Each idea will be turned around in five minutes and the ideas generated are then returned to the agency or client that submitted the original brief. It is expected that dozens of briefs will be worked through every day.

According to Brett Corrick, Marketing Director, Yahoo! Australia & NZ, the Yahoo! Think Tank is about championing creativity online. “Our aim is to help creative teams to overcome the perceived barriers of the online medium. In my experience many agencies are still treating online as a last minute extension to campaign rather than playing a central role in a campaign or idea. We feel that this does not reflect the central role that online plays in people’s lives today.

“An initiative like the Think Tank is Yahoo!’s way of showcasing a campaign built around a digital environment. It in itself – is a big idea online.”

At the core of the Yahoo! Think Tank will be the Big Idea Chair from Yahoo!. A well-established advertising honour in the US, this is the first time the huge purple chair has visited Australia and is being used to shine a spotlight on the companies and campaigns that demonstrate remarkable creativity. The first Big Idea Chair to be presented in Australia will be awarded to Agency Of The Year at the forthcoming AWARD night on November 11th. In an extension of the relationship with AWARD, students will be invited to cover shifts in the Yahoo! Think Tank with one team winning a placement with The Glue Society.

“The Yahoo! Big Idea chair gives Yahoo! Australia & NZ a platform to salute Australian creative work that stands out and makes us wish it was ours. We are seeing a growing number of outstanding creative ideas executed online, however, we hope that the creative output from the Think Tank sparks the imaginations of the Australian creative industry and inspires them to make online more central to their campaign ideas,” concluded Corrick.

Visitors to the specially-created website will be able to interact with the occupants of the Yahoo! Think Tank, suggesting themes for the day, following the blog and submitting messages which will appear on a LED ticker inside the Tank. Creative ideas will also be posted in an online gallery for web visitors to rate.

Special guest creatives include:

M&C SAATCHIChris RoundLaurie Ingram

THREE DRUNK MONKEYSJustin DrapeScott Nowell

12:20Christian FinucaneJon Skinner

THE CAMPAIGN PALACE RED CELLDavid JohnsonYanni Pounartzis

LEO BURNETTKieron OtsBrent Tunney

CELLBOBBY GASSEY

The Yahoo! Think Tank is the first work produced by Host since its appointment by Yahoo! Australia & NZ in August, 2005.

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

ARE WOMEN CREATIVES CRAP DOWN UNDER?

Of course not all are, but looking at the CB Top 100 Creatives chart (based on international and local award success over the last two years), there are only 12 women on the list. The highest ranked is Maggie Mouat (who got her points while at Saatchi Wellington and is now consulting with husband Gavin Bradley, former CD of Saatchi Wellington) at number 16, followed by former Saatchi Sydney creative, Jane Atkinson (now in London) at number 41. Although there are a few hot female creatives that will appear on the chart next year, including Rebecca Carrasco (Saatchi Sydney) and 2005 Gold Lion winner Bridget Short (DDB Auckland), it all looks a bit thin on the female creative front.Only one female CD is in the Top 40 CD Chart, namely Jeneal Rohrback at number 30, who got her points while CD of DDB Auckland several years ago. She is now CD of Young & Rubicam, Auckland (and employs 6 women out of a department of 13, a percentage well above the norm). Together with Chrissie Lahood, CD at Y&R Wellington, Christine Isaac, joint CD at The Campaign Palace, Melbourne and Emma Hill (pictured), CD of Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne, they are the only female CDs of major agencies in Australasia. Clems has been a major supporter of top women creatives over the years, the likes of the brilliant Sarah Barclay (co creator of "Antz Pantz" and "Legendary Milk", now worldwide CD on P&G's Aerial and Tide, based at Saatchi New York), Lynda Thompson and Christine Isaac. All, including Hill (who will be in the Top 40 in next year's CD Chart), have great, award winning folios, unlike the majority of female creatives in OZ, as Hill herself might agree (or surely she would have employed more than one -- Linda Honen -- in her department of 13). Commenting on the Neil French incident, Hill says: "Yep, not heaps of women doing well. But then its pretty tough for men too at the moment. And as for Mr French, not the first person to get pissed and bag chicks."Internationally, less than 5 percent of awards in the last five years (Cannes, The One Show, D&AD, Clio) have been won by women creatives, a fact Neil French should have brought up, without generalising that all women creatives were "crap".

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

MILLER AND 7 OTHERS OUT OF THE McCANNERY

CB hears McCann Erickson Sydney creative director, Mike Miller (pictured) has been retrenched, along with seven other staffers. Miller had only been CD since early this year and it is understood his role will be taken over by ECD, Mike Thomas, the former Singleton O&M Sydney CD who joined McCanns (along with other Singo heavies including CEO Chis Mort), a few months back. The cutbacks reflect recent account losses, including Boots (Nurofen, Strepsils etc) and Streets cutting back their ad spend, according to one source. The same source says McCann Sydney's top creative team, Robbi Kantor and Bart Pawlak are heading to George Patterson Y&R Sydney soon, presumably lured by former McCann CD, Michael Stanford - Miller's predecessor - now the new CD at George Patterson Y&R, Sydney.